Combined heat and power system

Abstract

A CHP system includes a combustor as a heat source, a Rankine cycle apparatus, a second heat exchanger, and a thermal fluid flow path. The Rankine cycle apparatus includes, as an evaporator, a first heat exchanger that absorbs thermal energy from combustion gas (thermal fluid). The second heat exchanger absorbs thermal energy from the combustion gas and transfers the thermal energy to a heat medium. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are disposed in the thermal fluid flow path. The thermal fluid flow path includes a first flow path that allows the combustion gas to reach the first heat exchanger directly from the combustor and a second flow path that allows the combustion gas to reach the second heat exchanger directly from the combustor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A combined heat and power system comprising:
 a heat source; 
 a Rankine cycle apparatus comprising, as an evaporator for heating a working fluid, a first heat exchanger that absorbs thermal energy from a thermal fluid produced in the heat source; 
 a fluid circuit comprising:
 a second heat exchanger, as a heat exchanger for heating a heat medium different from the working fluid of the Rankine cycle apparatus, that absorbs thermal energy from the thermal fluid and transfers the thermal energy to the heat medium, 
 a first pipe connected to the second heat exchanger that delivers the heat medium to the second heat exchanger, and 
 a second pipe connected to the second heat exchanger that delivers the heat medium heated by the second heat exchanger to an outside; and 
 
 a thermal fluid flow path in which the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are disposed so that the thermal fluid is supplied from the heat source to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger respectively, wherein 
 the working fluid is an organic working fluid, and 
 the thermal fluid flow path comprises:
 a first flow path that allows the thermal fluid to reach the first heat exchanger directly from the heat source, the first flow path being formed by a space between the heat source and the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchanger directly facing the heat source across the first flow path, and 
 a second flow path that allows the thermal fluid to reach the second heat exchanger directly from the heat source, the second flow path being formed by a space between the heat source and the second heat exchanger, and the second heat exchanger directly facing the heat source across the second flow path. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein when the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are orthogonally projected onto a plane of projection perpendicular to a flow direction of the thermal fluid in the thermal fluid flow path, a projected image of the first heat exchanger and a projected image of the second heat exchanger do not overlap each other on the plane of projection. 
     
     
       3. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal fluid can reach the second heat exchanger from the heat source without passing through the first heat exchanger, and the thermal fluid can reach the first heat exchanger from the heat source without passing through the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
       4. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger is in direct contact with the first heat exchanger or is in indirect contact with the first heat exchanger via a thermally-conductive member. 
     
     
       5. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat source comprises a plurality of discrete heat sources capable of producing the thermal fluid independently of each other, and 
 at least one of the discrete heat sources can supply the thermal fluid substantially only to the second heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       6. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 5 , wherein a partition is provided between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
       7. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat source is a combustor that produces flame and combustion gas as the thermal fluid, and 
 the thermal fluid flow path is formed by an internal space of a combustion chamber containing the combustor. 
 
     
     
       8. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flow path which includes the first pipe connected to the second heat exchanger, the flow path being configured to feed the heat medium to the second heat exchanger; and 
 a flow rate regulator disposed in the flow path. 
 
     
     
       9. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the Rankine cycle apparatus comprises a detector that detects an amount of generated electricity, and 
 the combined heat and power system further comprises a controller that controls the flow rate regulator based on the amount of generated electricity detected by the detector. 
 
     
     
       10. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein the combined heat and power system is capable of heating the heat medium by feeding the heat medium to the second heat exchanger when the Rankine cycle apparatus is not generating electricity. 
     
     
       11. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third heat exchanger located farther from the heat source than the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, wherein 
 the third heat exchanger transfers the thermal energy of the thermal fluid to the heat medium. 
 
     
     
       12. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 11 , wherein the third heat exchanger is connected to the second heat exchanger so that the heat medium having passed through the third heat exchanger flows into the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
       13. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 4 , wherein the thermally-conductive member is a heat pipe that allows the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to be in indirect contact with each other. 
     
     
       14. The combined heat and power system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the Rankine cycle apparatus further comprises:
 a pump that pressurizes the working fluid and delivers the pressurized working fluid to the evaporator, and 
 an expander, the working fluid flowing from the evaporator and into the expander, and 
 
 in a period after being discharged by the pump and before flowing into the expander, the working fluid has only been heated by absorbing thermal energy from the thermal fluid. 
 
     
     
       15. A combined heat and power system comprising:
 a heat source; 
 a Rankine cycle apparatus comprising, as an evaporator for heating a working fluid, a first heat exchanger that absorbs thermal energy from a thermal fluid produced in the heat source; 
 a second heat exchanger, as a heat exchanger for heating a heat medium different from the working fluid of the Rankine cycle apparatus, that absorbs thermal energy from the thermal fluid and transfers the thermal energy to the heat medium; and 
 a thermal fluid flow path in which the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are disposed so that the thermal fluid is supplied from the heat source to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger respectively, wherein 
 the working fluid is an organic working fluid, 
 the thermal fluid flow path comprises a first flow path that allows the thermal fluid to reach the first heat exchanger directly from the heat source and a second flow path that allows the thermal fluid to reach the second heat exchanger directly from the heat source, 
 the second heat exchanger is in direct contact with the first heat exchanger or is in indirect contact with the first heat exchanger via a thermally-conductive member, and 
 the thermally-conductive member is a heat pipe that allows the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to be in indirect contact with each other.